Members' Quicklinks

In 1991 we launched a new coxed four built by Browns of Durham and named it after Chris Kenyon, one of our longest serving members. From L-R: Graham Hillier, Neil Simmons, Kate O'Sullivan, Chris Kenyon, Sue Kenyon and Dilwyn Jones.

The Collingwood public house in Trafalgar Street Thornaby which has been home to the club’s committee meetings and AGMs since the mid 1960s is demolished as part of the Teesdale redevelopment.

Membership 39. . 15 wins: 4 in fours. 11 in single sculls. Tees LDS attracts 55 entries. Construction of the Tees Barrage is under way. Discussions are being held with Teesside Development Corporation with a view to establishing a multi user watersports centre on the Barrage Reach. David Fernie retires as Hon. Treasurer after 20 years.

Membership 32. 4 wins: 2 in fours. 1 in coxless pairs. 1 in single sculls. Chris Kenyon (Tees RC) retires after 16 years representing the North East on the Council of the Amateur Rowing Association. Annual Dinner held at Crathorne Hall.

Arthur Bivens elected Hon Boatwarden, a post which had been vacant for some time. As a result there is a significant improvement in the quality of boat maintenance.

Concept II Indoor Rowing Machine purchased thanks to a bequest from the late Donald Cooper (sadly this was stolen some time later despite being bolted down).

We have 54 members. 3 wins in fours. Plans for a straight still water rowing course and a new home for Tees RC and other water sports on that section the river upstream of the Tees Barrage continue to be discussed. Construction of the Tees Barrage is almost finished and it is expected to be operational in December. The Annual Dinner is held at Crathorne Hall. Chris Kenyon is awarded the Amateur Rowing Association Medal of Honour for Services to the Sport of Rowing. A new coxed quad is bought with funds provided by Coopers Chemists and Sportsmatch. It is named Donald Cooper. Kate O’Sullivan is Chair of the Northern Rowing Council Women’s Rowing Commission.

Second hand coxless pair/double scull "Aggie" purchased. Built by Harris of Oxford the boat is unusual in that it is sectioned, a feature which has since proved very useful.

Discussions in progress on how we can help University of Durham Stockton Campus take up rowing.

Naming of Double Trouble

In 1994 we purchased a new double scull with the aid of Sponsorship from Donald Cooper Ltd. and a Sports Match Grant. In the picture are John Inman, Dilwyn Jones, Jonathon Cooper, Tim Devlin (then MP for Stockton South), Valentijn van Morgen, Chris Kenyon and Neil Simmons together with the "Cheques".

Remember low tides?

...and the smell that went with them? And the slippery steps? And the constant need for maintenance? And that long treacherous carry up and down????? Now all gone thanks to the Barrage. Just to remind you this is what low spring tide was like at Tees RC...the person on the bottom step gives an idea of the scale of tidal fall...

It's a dirty job but....

....someone had to do it - and it usually turned out to be Chris Kenyon! As one of our few currently active members to have been associated with building the (old) boathouse he knew where the drains were and being a Chartered Surveyor had all the qualifications for cleaning them out. Those who are trying to work out where this photo was taken must first remember that it is "pre-Barrage" i.e. the river was tidal.

Membership 52. Senior Sub is £95. 2 wins: 1 in fours, 1 in single sculls. Following completion of construction of the Barrage, Tees Regatta is relaunched after an absence of 5 years. The 850 metre non tidal course is upstream from the Barrage finishing just short of the Princess of Wales Bridge. The Tees Long Distance Sculling Race is raced for the first time on a non tidal Tees. Singles winner is David Cooper (TRC). The club merges with Hartlepool R C whose activities on the marina at Hartlepool have, sadly, proved to be unviable. We inherit their members and some useful boats including single sculls.

Membership 56. 15 wins: 4 in fours, 2 in double sculls, 9 in single sculls. The Annual Dinner is held at Potto Hall – attendance 41. Arthur Bivens (Boatwarden) reports that the boathouse is now full to capacity.

We seem to make spontaneous rather than regular pre-planned entries in this event. 1997 was one of the entry years. The crew from bow is: Peter Mackfall, Steve Graham, Dick Wilkinson, Graham Calvert, Mike Riley, Paul Buckworth, Alistair McNeil, Valentijn von Morgen and Neil Hindle. Started 355th - finished 287th.

We have a total of 76 members. 14 wins: 1 in fours, 2 in pairs/doubles, 11 in singles. Chris Kenyon is Chairman of the Northern Rowing Council. A bid for approx £960,000 is prepared for submission to the National Lottery for funds to build a shared Watersports Centre. Tees Regatta attracts 157 entries and is sponsored by Stockton BC, Barclaycard and Sportsmatch. Tees LDS is cancelled owing to adverse weather conditions (other LDS races are held in poor conditions with the exception, for a welcome change, of Berwick which enjoyed calm and sunny weather).

Membership stands at 90. 24 wins: 1 in eights, 7 in fours, 3 in pairs/doubles, 13 in singles. Full member’s sub (adult) is £120 pa. Despite clashing with National Schools Regatta, Tees Regatta attracts 133 entries. Annual Dinner is at The Parkmore Hotel. John Buchan Chairman of ARA National Development Committee is Principal Guest.

Black Tie

Annual Dinner 1999 and Dick Wilkinson surprises us this year with his more restrained than usual interpretation of Black Tie...To his left is Graham "Jack" Calvert, to his right Peter Mackfall.

The Unkindest Cut...

By 1999 the old Don eight was well beyond it's sell by date. George Parsonage (Scottish sculling champion and sculptor), who also does a neat line in coffee tables made from old boats, swapped us one of his sculptures for it. George is on the right supervising the "preparation for transport arrangements".